Anniversary
by BizzyLizzy
Summary: SG1 retrieve a weapon from Hathor's pyramid, Teal'c goes crazy and Sam disappears. FINISHED.
1. Part one

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DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

****

SPOILERS: Out of Mind/Into the Fire

Anniversary

Part one

'You got it yet, Teal'c?' Jack snapped into the radio.

'Nearly,' Teal'c's voice grunted back at him. If Teal'c had been human he would have rolled his eyes as O'Neill had been demanding updates at five minute intervals ever since he had entered this tunnel barely wide enough for him to crawl through. SG1 and SG3 had returned to Hathor's planet to find a weapon Trofsky had mentioned, and while Teal'c had been sceptical as to it's existence, here he was crawling through the tunnel to try to retrieve it. At last he reached his goal as the tunnel widened slightly. 

'I have retrieved the object,' Teal'c informed O'Neill, placing the item in his pack before turning awkwardly to begin the return journey. In doing so, he disturbed what appeared to be a millenia of dust.

'Gesundheit!' Jack said, surprised to hear what appeared to be a sneeze coming from Teal'c. 'Have you guys ever heard Teal'c sneeze before?' Jack turned to Sam and Daniel, receiving negative responses. 'Maybe he's sickening for something.' Jack shrugged his shoulders and turned to wait impatiently. Hammond had promised them all some down time, then he'd had to put his foot in it and mention this weapon Trofsky had gloated about. They'd only waited long enough for Daniel's leg to heal before returning to this loathsome place to try to find it, Hammond insisting that SG1 would be able to carry out the mission quickly due to their familiarity with the whole set up. Now Jack was looking forward to a couple of days at his cabin in Minnesota catching up on his fishing.

'So,' Jack spoke again, breaking the silence that had surrounded the group, an uneasy silence, 'What are you going to be doing on your down time?'

'I've got an invitation to a dig in Egypt,' Daniel spoke enthusiastically, his attention brought back from Egypt where his thoughts had taken him. 'An archaeologist who knew my parents has turned up a couple of interesting…'

'Boy, Daniel, you sure know how to have yourself a good time,' Jack said sarcastically. 'You know, you could always come fishing with me, have a relaxing time for a change.'

'Uh, I think I'll give it a miss this time, Jack,' Daniel hastily turned the offer down and resumed his thoughtful anticipation of the delights ahead of him.

'What about you Carter? Got anything interesting planned?' Jack waited for a reply. 'Carter?' Jack repeated when he received no response.

'Sir?' Startled, Sam turned to Jack with an anxious look on her face.

'Settle down, Captain,' Jack told her. 'I only wanted to know what you were planning for the next few days.'

'Not much,' Sam said briefly, 'I might go to the beach.'

'Carter, I'm not sure if you noticed, but it is November - isn't it a little cold to go to the beach?' 

Sam smiled briefly at Jack, the smile not reaching her eyes which seemed to have lost some of their life and sparkle. 'I don't plan on sunbathing or swimming, sir. I like to walk along the cliffs. We used to go there when I was a kid.' Sam turned away, indicating the conversation was over.

'Sure you wouldn't rather…' Jack began when the sight of Teal'c's dusty appearance at the mouth of the tunnel caught his attention. 'Good job, Teal'c,' Jack helped Teal'c stand upright, brushing some of the dust from his clothing. 'So where is it?'

'It is in my pack, O'Neill,' Teal'c said testily. 'We should return to the SGC immediately.' Teal'c turned and began to make his way out of the pyramid. Jack jogged to his side.

'What's wrong?' Jack demanded, his eyes taking in Teal'c's unusual pallor.

'I am feeling unwell,' Teal'c replied briefly. 'My symbiote is agitated. I must perform kel'noreem.'

Jack waited for more information but when none was forthcoming, indicated for Sam and Daniel to take the lead.

'What's the problem?' Sam asked, dragging her attention back to the current situation.

'I'm not sure,' Jack replied slowly, 'Teal'c says he's sick.'

'In what way?' Daniel butted in.

'He won't say, just says he's unwell and needs to do that kel-no-dream thing,' Jack shrugged and this time Daniel and Sam led the way leaving Jack to walk with the more silent than usual Teal'c. Jack took in the Jaffa's appearance: a sheen of sweat covered his face and every now and again Teal'c's face would furrow as though in deep concentration, trying to force himself to keep going.

At last they neared the 'gate, Colonel Makepeace coming forward to report to Jack.

'All quiet at this end, Jack,' Makepeace advised, 'We haven't seen any indications that there are any Jaffa left in this area. Did you get it?'

'Yes we did,' Jack replied briefly, indicating for Sam to dial up as quickly as possible. 'Teal'c's sick, we need to get him back as…' As one, both Colonels turned to support Teal'c as his legs gave way now he had stopped moving and lost his momentum.

At that moment, the 'gate kawooshed open and Sam entered the right code on the GDO before racing through to report on Teal'c's condition and request immediate medical assistance.

***********

'Doc?' Jack's voice pleaded for attention. 'Can someone please let me know what's going on?'

Since their return Teal'c had been kept in an isolation room, remaining unconscious throughout his examination and subsequent medical tests. SG3 had been ushered off to one side room and the remainder of SG1 had been kept in another while they too had undergone an unusually thorough post-mission check up.

'Colonel you are not supposed to leave this room,' Janet snapped briskly at Jack, earning a rebellious look from Jack in return, but her words and tone had the desired effect and Jack retreated back into the room where Daniel and Sam were both engrossed in books which had been provided for them. 'Teal'c is still unconscious but he is beginning to respond to stimuli now and I'm expecting him to wake in the next couple of hours. He appears to have ingested some kind of drug which has raised his temperature and has stimulated certain parts of his brain which I suspect will cause him to become delusional and experience hallucinations until whatever it is has left his system. He'll need to remain restrained until he's over the worst of it.'

'What about us?' Now that he knew Teal'c's condition, he felt more than ready to kick up a fuss if he didn't get out of that room.

'I've already cleared SG3 and your results have also come back clear, so you are free to go as well.' Janet paused before continuing. 'Have you any idea what could have caused this?'

'He did seem to be sneezing a lot when he was retrieving that rock,' Jack said, 'Maybe he inhaled some dust or something - would that have done it?'

'Possibly, probably, seeing as he is the only one affected and the only one to have gone into that tunnel. Anyway,' Janet continued, 'You're free to go. General Hammond would like to see you before you leave though.'

Jack sighed, another obstacle in the way of his fishing, but he reluctantly led the way to the briefing room where SG3 were already waiting for the debriefing.

'…and Teal'c successfully retrieved that thing,' Jack finished speaking as he indicated the item sitting on the table in front of Hammond, the reason for their return to Hathor's planet.

'Any idea what it is?' Hammond looked to Daniel and Sam for a report.

'I think it's more in Sam's field than mine, sir,' Daniel admitted, having spent several hours examining the object and remaining unable to determine what it was.

'I've run a few preliminary tests, sir,' Sam updated the General, sounding tired and just a little fed up. 'It's emitting a very low level of energy but I've not gotten anywhere yet, I'll need to spend some more time on it.'

'Very well, in that case, dismissed.' SG3, Jack and Sam stood while the General left the room, followed closely by SG3. 

Jack turned to say something to Sam and Daniel, then realised that Sam had slipped out with SG3.

'Is there something going on with Carter?' Jack asked, looking puzzled.

'I'm not sure,' Daniel looked equally concerned. 'She's been quiet for a few days. Maybe she just needs this break.'

'Maybe,' Jack didn't look entirely convinced but let it drop, eager to get away from the base. 'So when do you leave?' Jack changed the subject as the two of them left the briefing room.

'Tomorrow morning,' Daniel replied. 'I'm just going to check in on Teal'c before I go.' Jack nodded and accompanied him to the infirmary.

To be continued…


	2. Part two

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DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Anniversary

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as she sank into her airplane seat, thankful she'd managed to get one next to the window. After the briefing she had only taken long enough to change in to her own clothes and grab a holdall that she had waiting in her office before driving to the airport. It had been hectic, getting her ticket and making a mad dash to the gate to board the plane, but here she was at last. 

She thought she'd done a pretty good job these last few days in keeping her emotions in check. At first she had thought she was going crazy when she'd woken a couple of mornings after their escape from Hathor and felt like the world was about to end, then she glanced at the calendar and realisation dawned. During their imprisonment at the fake SGC she had lost all track of time and now that she had she remembered, it lay heavily on her shoulders and all she wanted was to be away from other people. Her thoughts turned to the place she had so many happy memories of as a child, when both her parents had been there, and Mark. When General Hammond had postponed their leave she had felt like crying and screaming but she had resolutely kept her emotions in check, carried on with her routine and managed to get through their last mission, relieved when it was all over and she was able to get out of there in time to catch this plane.

Now she could begin to work through the confusion of feelings and emotions that were threatening to take control of her, face up to things and then get back to normal. If she could. She had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same again, couldn't be the same, but she had to find a way to work through it before she really did go crazy.

The flight seemed to last for ever, but at last they touched down at Boston and Sam made her way quickly to the car rental desk, completing the paperwork as quickly as possible before heading for Plymouth. The roads were quiet, being November and between holidays, and Sam was thankful when she pulled into the motel she remembered from her childhood. Taking a look around she could feel the tears prickling and she did nothing to stop them from welling up and spilling down her face, her lower lip trembling as she could feel her emotions taking control. She curled up on the bed and cried for a while until at last her eyes closed and sleep took over.

She woke briefly several hours later, got up to take a couple of aspirin and have a drink, but then she undressed and crawled into the bed. Her dreams were plagued with memories - some happy, some sad, some very painful. All Sam really knew when she woke the following morning was that she still had a lot of conflicting emotions running through her. She found a diner around the corner from the motel, ate a quick breakfast of coffee and toast and then jumped in her car to head for the beach, hoping it was still as she remembered, the tears starting again as she drove on seeing the familiar sights from her childhood.

She parked the car, got out and breathed in the sea air, watching the ominous signs of rain clouds building up, the wind blowing with a chill to it. The weather suited her mood and she was relieved in a way that it wasn't one of those bright crisp mornings that would do its best to make you feel cheerful despite what was going on in your life or the mess you might be in.

Sam made her way down to the beach first, strolling around the deserted expanse of sand, seeing how her steps left footprints wherever she walked. Then the sea would rush up and when it retreated, there would be nothing left.

Nothing left. How empty she felt. Numb. She was an adult for crying out loud, she should be able to handle a few emotions. She smiled to herself as she realised how much like Colonel O'Neill she had sounded just then, but the smile faded and she could feel the tears starting again. She stood still now at the edge of the water and gazed at the open sea in front of her, thoughts and memories all warring for attention until she'd had enough and she turned towards the cliff path walking briskly for a couple of miles before she reached a bench at the headland with a view of the coast as far as the eye could see, the ocean stretching towards the horizon.

Here she sat, lost in her thoughts, sometimes crying, sometimes smiling to herself as hidden emotions and memories demanded attention.

*************

'What the…' Jack's exclamation halted abruptly as he saw the SF on the floor outside Teal'c's iso room. While Daniel checked the guard's condition, Jack grabbed the nearest phone to sound the alert and call for medical assistance. Within moments the alarms were sounding and Jack could hear footsteps running towards them, the petite figure of Dr Fraiser leading the way.

'What happened?' Janet asked briskly, taking in the empty iso room while she examined the injured SF.

'We came to see how Teal'c was doing but he'd already gone,' Daniel explained.

'How is he doc?' Jack asked, seeing Dr Fraiser looking up from the SF.

'He'll be fine,' Janet responded, 'It looks like someone had a go at strangling him, then gave up when he passed out.' 

'Teal'c?' Jack asked the question, not expecting any kind of reply. 'In that case…'

'Colonel O'Neill to General Hammond's office.' Jack was interrupted before he could say any more and he headed for level 28, Daniel close behind him.

'Teal'c has left the base, Jack,' Hammond informed Jack almost before he could take a seat, glancing at Daniel but not surprised to see the younger man arriving as well. 'He armed himself with a zat gun and stunned anyone who got in his way. He…uh…he took one of the vehicles from the parking lot.' Jack, wondering why Hammond had suddenly turned evasive, twigged on to something.

'Mine I presume?' Jack asked, smiling humourlessly. 'I knew I shouldn't have let him practice his driving. So now what?'

'I need you to find out where he's headed,' Hammond said. 'Major Davis is liasing with the local authorities so that when he is found, they'll hold him until we can get there. In the meantime, I want you to try to follow him. I'll let you know as soon as we hear anything further. Is Captain Carter still around?' Hammond caught the looks being passed between Jack and Daniel.

'No sir,' Jack was the one to reply. 'She left to catch a plane as soon as the briefing was over, she'll be on her way to…?' He looked questioningly at Daniel.

'Plymouth, Massachusetts I think,' Daniel looked doubtfully back at Jack.

'The beach, she said she was heading to the beach,' Jack concluded.

'We'll need her back here to work on that artefact - this all started when you brought it back, maybe we can get some answers from it. Well, good luck gentlemen, and keep in touch.'

*************

Daniel pulled his car into the parking lot of a diner. 

'Daniel?' Jack's quiet voice hid the annoyance he was feeling.

'We've been driving around for hours, Jack,' Daniel replied. 'I need a break and something to eat ok?'

'Something to eat, right,' Jack said sarcastically.

'Ok, I need coffee,' Daniel amended as he got out and stretched his cramped limbs.

'I'll meet you inside, I'm just going to check in with the General,' Jack pulled out his cell phone and within moments had snagged Daniel's arm and hauled him back outside.

'Jack I was just about to be served,' Daniel complained as he found himself being bundled unceremoniously into the passenger seat of his own car.

'They've located Teal'c,' Jack spoke over Daniel's protests as he started the car up and shot away from the diner. 'His - my car was spotted a couple of miles outside Burlington. There wasn't any sign of Teal'c near the car but he has to be close by. General Hammond is sending out a couple of SG teams to locate him - and we need to find him fast. He'll freeze to death in what he's wearing and Junior will only be able to protect him for a short time.'

They drove the rest of the way in silence, receiving updates from the two SG teams on their progress and pulled up by Jack's car at the same time as the other two teams.

'Ok - this is what we're going to do…' Jack issued his orders and within minutes the teams were going off in different directions.

The world was quiet, the cold wind rushing through the fields rustling the frozen blades of grass was all that could be heard, along with the hush-hush noise of feet moving through the scrub. Jack could no longer feel his nose and his eyes were watering with the coldness around them but he ignored these discomforts. They were all dressed for this weather whereas Teal'c had left the base wearing nothing but fatigue pants and a t-shirt - maybe a jacket but no-one was sure about that.

Jack's eyes constantly swept the area around him, thankful that Teal'c hadn't chosen to go to one of the more mountainous areas where it would be harder to look for him. At least here it would be easier to see things like that tall black scarecrow that seemed to be having a disagreement with a smaller scarecrow…

'I've got him!' Jack called into his radio, giving directions before taking off at a jog, followed by Daniel.

A few minutes later they were close enough to hear Teal'c's voice shouting something at a figure he was shaking mercilessly by the shoulders. 

'Teal'c!' Jack shouted as loudly as he could, with as much authority as he could muster. 'What the hell do you think you are doing?'

Teal'c turned his head at this intrusion, looking extremely displeased at the interruption before returning to his previous task.

'Damn it, Teal'c,' Jack muttered under his breath as he gave Daniel some instructions. Daniel threw himself at Teal'c's legs, wrapping his arms around the knees causing him to stumble. At the same moment Jack grasped Teal'c's arms and did his best to pin them behind his back, relieved when Ferretti came to his assistance along with the rest of SG2 and between them managed to wrestle Teal'c to the ground. Throughout their efforts Teal'c struggled violently, shouting incoherently at them all. At last, Ferretti took a step backwards, brought something out from one of his pockets and within a few minutes Teal'c's struggles ceased as the heavy dose of sedative took effect.

'Good work Ferretti,' Jack sounded breathless.

'Dr Fraiser thought it might be needed,' Ferretti replied as he safely disposed of the needle he had just used.

'You got him?' Jack turned to SG4 who had just arrived, before following Daniel.

'Are you alright?' Daniel jogged up beside the woman who had been the subject of Teal'c's attentions. As soon as she was free she had scrambled to her feet and began backing away from the scene unfolding in front of her, observed by Daniel who had been unable to do anything until Ferretti's injection had taken effect. He reached out a hand making her jump but at the same time she came to a halt. She watched him warily, wondering what on earth was going to happen now. 'I'm sorry about that,' Daniel smiled at her, 'Murray's been ill and managed to get away from his doctor. As you can see, he's pretty strong. I'm Daniel Jackson by the way.' 

'I'm Maria Connolly,' she said cautiously. 'I'm fine, really. Just a bit shaken up I guess. Thanks for your help, but I really should…'

'Everyone alright here?' Jack joined the two of them. 

'This is Maria Connolly, Maria, this is Jack O'Neill,' Daniel performed the introductions. 

'I'm fine, thank you, I just need to…' Maria tried to leave again, finding herself prevented from doing so by Daniel's hand on one arm and Jack's on the other. 'What the hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me.' she snapped, unsettled by Teal'c's unprovoked attack and now feeling distinctly spooked by these two others.

'That would be Colonel Jack O'Neill, USAF,' Jack pulled out his ID from his wallet and showed it to Maria who didn't seem particularly reassured by this information. 'I'm afraid I'll need to ask you a few questions before you can go.'

'Why - you're not a cop or anything, you don't have any right to stop me from leaving,' Maria said fiercely. 'Now will you please let me go.' She tried to free her arm but found she was held too securely. 

'I'm afraid you're mistaken - in the interests of national security I do have the right to question you. Murray has been involved with some highly classified projects for the air force and I need to determine whether or not he has revealed anything.' Jack said, his tone irritating Maria.

'Well he didn't,' she growled back at him, giving him a black look. 'He just started shouting in some foreign language I couldn't understand. I have no idea what he was saying. Now can I go?' 

'Not yet,' Jack started to say when Daniel caught his attention. Maria looked at the two men in turn, wondering what was going on when Daniel started speaking.

'If you wouldn't mind telling us what happened, we shouldn't need to keep you any longer,' Daniel flashed her a reassuring smile.

'Ok,' Maria sighed, resigned to the fact that if she wanted to get home any time soon she might as well co-operate. 'I was out for a walk when I came across your friend. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the field with his eyes closed. He was only wearing a t-shirt and I went over to him to find out if everything was alright - I thought he might be lost or sick or something. When I spoke to him he ignored me to begin with, then when I shook his arm, he grabbed me and started shouting. He sounded really…'

'Angry? Crazy? Nuts?' Jack offered while Maria tried to find the right word, earning himself an exasperated look from both Maria and Daniel.

'Worried, like he had lost something, or needed to do something important.' Maria finished up. 'That's when you guys arrived on the scene.' She stopped talking and waited for a short time before speaking again. 'That's all. Can I go now?' Her voice was much quieter now and Daniel, taking a good look at her spoke up.

'Sure, thanks for your assistance. Can we give you a lift?' 

'No, really, I…' Maria paused as she felt herself beginning to react to the attack and realised she really couldn't face the long walk home and that she might not actually make it. 'That would be great, thank you.' 

The walk back to the car was quiet. Teal'c had already been escorted back to the base by SG2, SG4 had followed them leaving Jack and Daniel alone with their respective cars. 

'I'll meet you back at the base Daniel,' Jack said, eager to find out how Teal'c was. 'Thanks for your help Maria, and I'm really sorry about all this,' Jack threw over to a Maria who didn't appear to be listening as she got into Daniel's car.

Within moments, silence fell on the area once more.

__

To be continued……


	3. Part three

****

DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Anniversary

'Teal'c hasn't shown any improvement I'm afraid,' Dr Fraiser reported. 'Since he was brought back he has lapsed into a coma and isn't responding to any form of stimuli.'

'Any idea what's causing this Doctor?' Hammond asked.

'Well, I initially thought it was the substance he was exposed to while retrieving the artefact but while there seemed to be something unusual in his blood tests when I was first treating him, there doesn't seem to be any residue left in his system now.' Dr Fraiser looked puzzled and frustrated at not being able to discover what was going on with Teal'c.

'What about the device?' Daniel suggested, looking around at the others present to see how this was retrieved. 'I mean, Sam did say it was emitting some kind of energy, perhaps it's affecting Teal'c's symbiote?'

'I think we need to explore all avenues, sir,' Dr Fraiser turned back to Hammond. 'I could do with a sample of whatever it was that Teal'c inhaled, just to rule it out if nothing else.'

'If we were to suit up I can't see any danger in returning. Permission…'

'Request denied, Colonel,' Hammond interrupted Jack's request. 'SG3 can have this one - they know the lay of the land and can bring back a sample. I need you two to retrieve Captain Carter from leave. I had someone try to contact her while you were out looking for Teal'c but she isn't responding to her cell phone. We have no idea where she's staying, all we know is that she caught a flight to Boston and hired a car. Dr Jackson, you said something about going to Plymouth?' Daniel nodded his confirmation. 'That's around 60km south of Boston. I've made all the arrangements, you leave in half an hour. Any questions? Good, dismissed.' Jack and Dr Fraiser stood as Hammond left the room, Jack and Daniel leaving soon after.

************

'At last!' Jack exclaimed as they pulled into the parking lot opposite the beach. This was the fourth location they had tried, the others all being nearly deserted except for a couple of people walking their dogs. It looked like they had found their target this time though, the only car parked up was the rental which matched the description Jack had been given. They had found the motel Sam had been staying in fairly quickly, Jack and Daniel had rung around the hotels in the vicinity, and after only three calls Daniel had hit on the right one. They had set out immediately, but on arrival found she had already departed.

Returning to the assumption that she would have gone to the beach, Jack and Daniel had armed themselves with several maps of the area and settled down with cups of coffee and ruled out places she was unlikely to be, narrowing the search area down to four beaches. It was nearly midday by the time they arrived at this location, Daniel voicing doubts that they would actually find her at all.

'See,' Jack said smugly to Daniel, 'You've got no faith have you?'

Getting out of the car, they scanned the beach and could see only a few faint footprints in the sand, no sign of Sam anywhere. 

'Well, she did say she was going to walk the cliffs, so I guess that's where we head next.'

Silently the two men walked along the cliffs, too absorbed in their mission to notice the beauty of the scenery around them despite the gathering storm clouds and the chill wind which was beginning to find its way through the fabric of their clothes. 

*************

She sat motionless as though she belonged to the landscape, a part of the landscape. She felt separated from the world around her, no longer a part of it. Feeling like this protected her from the pain, the sorrow, the sense of loss which seemed to be enveloping her. As she stared out to sea she had felt a sense of calm overtaking her and everything seemed well once more, but she knew that this was wrong. There was a lump in her chest, a tight knot of locked away feelings and emotions that refused to come out and she began to feel despair now, aloneness as though things could never be right and that she would never get through this. She hid her face in her hands, a dry sob catching in her throat, then a hand on her shoulder, a familiar voice…

'Sam?' The voice sounded worried. For a moment she ignored it, trying to get herself under control, then she could feel an arm around her, feel warmth reaching towards her, not just physical warmth but the warmth that came from knowing a friend was here, a friend who could help. Still not looking up, Sam turned towards Daniel and buried her head in his shoulder, clinging to him as the tears started falling again, this time accompanied by heart-rending sobs as the knot in her chest began to unravel and she cried away the pain.

Daniel pulled Sam closer towards him, his free hand stroking her hair, comforting her as he murmured soothing words, incomprehensible words that served only to reassure. He looked into Jack's face who was standing to one side, his hands deep in his pockets looking uncomfortable at this display of emotion, and not understanding what was going on or why this was happening. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, Daniel could feel Sam's grip loosening and he released his hold on her while keeping a hand on her shoulder, reminding her he was still there.

Taking a few moments to wipe her eyes and blow her nose, she finally came back down to earth.

'Daniel? Colonel?' She looked in confusion at the two men. 

'Sam,' Daniel spoke quietly, not wanting to set her off again. 'What was that all about?'

Sam looked hesitantly from Daniel to Jack, then sighed as she began to speak.

'I've been feeling down for a few days and I couldn't figure out why,' Sam looked sideways at Jack, wondering how he would take all this emotional stuff, surprised to see him focussing on what she was saying. Reassured, she went on. 'I thought maybe I was going crazy or something, but then I looked at the calendar.' Jack and Daniel raised eyebrows at each other, wondering if this was just some 'time of month' thing, but said nothing and allowed Sam to continue. 'I guess all that time on Hathor's planet made me forget the date and got me all turned around. Anyway, I realised why I'd been feeling depressed. Did you know that it's exactly a year ago that Jolinar died to save my life?'

This hadn't been what either man had been expecting and both started to say something, but Sam wasn't finished yet.

'And in two weeks time, it will have been twenty years since my mother died. It made me feel better knowing there was a reason for the way I was feeling, but everything just got on top of me and I had to get away, to come here where I had so many memories of my mother, family holidays where we were all together. But,' Sam sighed deeply, 'It also made me realise what I'd lost: Jolinar died and left me with a whole heap of memories that aren't even mine, my mother died, dad nearly died and now he's out there in the universe somewhere and I don't know when or if I'll see him again and I haven't seen my brother in I don't know how long because he resents the fact that I'm in the air force, just like dad. It just feels like I've lost so much and I'm so alone.' Sam ran out of words, feeling emotionally exhausted, but somehow relieved to have gotten it all out in the open.

'Sam, you're not…' Daniel began.

'Oh for crying out loud,' Jack muttered under his breath, earning him a startled look from Sam and Daniel. 'Carter - Sam - you're not on your own. You've got a whole new family now, and your dad is fine and you will see him again. And your brother is still around, maybe all it needs is just one of you to break the silence.' Jack stopped talking, looking a little embarrassed at his outburst. Sam smiled, appreciating what she had heard, then changed the subject.

'Aren't you guys supposed to be on vacation?'

''Supposed' being the operative word here Carter,' Jack jumped in, relieved that things seemed to be returning to normal and that Carter wasn't one fry short of a happy meal after all. 'We've been trying to get hold of you but no-one knew where you were staying and you didn't have your cell phone switched on.'

'I'm sorry sir, I completely forgot to turn it on…I…'

'It's alright Carter,' Jack jumped in, seeing Sam beginning to work herself up again. 'No harm done and it gave us a nice break by the sea - if I can't go fishing, seeing the sea is next best thing I guess.'

'Yes sir,' Sam replied quietly. 'So why were you trying to get hold of me anyway?'

'Oh, Teal'c went nuts and got off the base - used my car if you can believe it,' Jack spoke in an airy manner, lightening the tension. 'He assaulted some poor civilian in the middle of nowhere who was trying to help him and then, with a little help from Doc's happy juice, we got him back to the infirmary.'

'Yes?' Sam, looking for more information than was forthcoming from the Colonel, turned to Daniel for clarification.

'Since then, he's been in a coma and is completely unresponsive.' Daniel took up the explanation. 'Dr Fraiser initially thought it was that stuff he must have inhaled, but now she's not so sure. SG3 went back to the planet to fetch samples of the substance, and General Hammond needs you to try to figure out if the device could have anything to do with this - you did say it was giving off some kind of energy.'

'Oh my god!' Sam's attention was fully focussed on Teal'c's situation now. 'Well, yes, there was a low level of energy from it, but it was barely noticeable and may just have been a residue from the decontamination process. I can't see how it could be causing this.'

'What if…' Daniel began, before being interrupted.

'This is all very nice,' Jack said sarcastically, 'But I think we need to get back to the base asap, don't you? You can continue your little tête-à-tête on the way back.'

__

To be continued…


	4. Part four

****

DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Anniversary

Part four

Sam stood in front of the safe staring at the contents in confusion. Ok. There was the ribbon device and healing device and a couple of other items of goa'uld technology still held at the SGC, but there was no sign of the device brought back from Hathor's planet. Racking her brains, Sam tried to remember what she had done with the object before she had left on vacation. She was certain it had been locked away before she went to the briefing, she never left potentially dangerous items lying around her lab, just in case. Then a frown crossed her face. Maybe in her state of mind she had forgotten to put it away and one of the other scientists had taken it away for further study. Bringing herself back to the present, Sam locked the safe again and headed off to ask around for information regarding the missing weapon.

An hour later, Sam returned to her lab deep in thought. No-one had seen the weapon or touched it, all had reassured her that they would never touch anything in her lab without authorisation, which she had known deep down. She was going to have to…

'Carter?' Colonel O'Neill's voice just behind her made her jump and she turned to face him. 'Everything alright?'

'Actually, sir, no,' Sam admitted, seeing the uncomfortable look cross his face at the thought that she was about to have another break down. 'I can't find the weapon. I've just been around to ask the other scientists but no-one has seen it or touched it. I…there's a possibility that I didn't lock it away before I went on vacation, sir.' Sam looked down at the floor in embarrassment, then gathered her courage and looked up at Jack. 'I'm sorry, sir, I should never have left it lying around.'

'No, you shouldn't,' Jack told her bluntly. 'But we'll deal with that later. We better go and see General Hammond I guess. Someone took it, someone who should have known better and hopefully it's just lying around in a storage room.'

**********

It was getting late by the time the base had been searched for any sign of the weapon. Everywhere had been searched: bathrooms, personal lockers, the infirmary, offices, labs and store rooms, the kitchen and sleeping quarters, no stone had been left unturned but still there was no sign of the weapon. SG1 gathered with General Hammond in the briefing room, Sam slumped in her seat looking defeated and guilty.

'Now what?' Sam asked, her voice dull and sounding tired.

'Well, it's not on the base, that means someone has taken it off base or off-world,' General Hammond summarised. 'SG3 have been the only unit to go off-world in the last couple of days and Colonel O'Neill has already spoken to them and is satisfied they didn't remove the weapon.'

'So that means someone has taken it off the base.' Jack said. 'Talk about a needle in a haystack, sir.'

'Not necessarily,' Daniel had so far been quiet, turning something over in his mind. 'What about Teal'c?'

'Teal'c is in the infirmary remember?' Jack reminded Daniel.

'Yes, but he did leave the base and when we found him he was muttering away in goa'uld,' Daniel explained. 'I didn't think anything of it at the time, I just thought he was delusional but he was saying something about concealing the source, hiding it from the enemies. Maybe he meant the weapon.'

'Why would he want to hide it from us?' Jack wanted to know.

'Maybe it's to do with that stuff that he inhaled, making him think that we were the enemy and that he had to stop us from making use of whatever this thing - weapon - is.' Daniel hazarded a guess. 'Maybe it was the energy it was giving off that affected him, who knows.'

'Ok, say he did take it,' Jack picked up the thread of Daniel's suggestion. 'What did he do with it? It could be anywhere by now, he had plenty of time to conceal it somewhere. It could take us weeks or even months to find it.'

'Not necessarily,' Daniel looked thoughtful. 'Remember when he attacked that woman? Maybe he suspected she had seen where he'd hidden it and was trying to stop her from telling anyone? Maybe he gave it to her?'

'That's an awful lot of maybes Daniel,' Jack sounded doubtful.

'Yes, but it is somewhere to start and if we were to search everywhere from here to Burlington and interrogate everyone on the base to try to find it, that would be a lot more maybes,' Daniel argued. 

Hammond considered this for a moment then issued his orders. 'Very well, SG1, I want you to start with Ms Connolly and backtrack from there. I'll have some of the SG units on stand by to continue the search between here and Burlington if you don't turn anything up. Report back as soon as you've got anything. Dismissed.'

*************

The car drew up in front of a small house in a suburban area of Burlington just as someone was walking up the steps to the front door, a small child jumping up and down the steps waiting for the door to be opened. The sound of car doors slamming startled her and she turned to see two familiar faces coming towards her, this time accompanied by an unfamiliar female. Licking her lips nervously she grabbed the child by the arm and pushed him behind her while she turned to face them, her keys hanging loosely in her hand as she wondered what on earth was going on now, still a little edgy from her encounter with that big black guy who'd tried to strangle her.

'Miss Connolly,' Jack greeted her, 'I guess you probably remember us - Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, and this is Captain Carter.' Jack's voice tailed off as he saw her face close over and she backed up against the door.

'What do you want?' She sounded anything but willing to co-operate, Jack looked at Daniel and took a couple of steps away to allow Daniel to have a go.

'I'm really sorry about this, but we need to ask you some more questions about the other day,' Daniel smiled at her and he was relieved to see the scowl on her face relaxing slightly. 'I know you probably hoped you'd never see us again but we think Murray, the guy who was sick, had something with him and we need to try and find it.'

'I didn't see anything, sorry.' Maria turned to open the door, indicating that as far as she was concerned the matter was over.

'It's possible he might have concealed it somewhere before he reached you, can you remember anything of what he said?' Daniel pushed for more information. Maria paused, her back to them before she sighed and half turned back.

'I guess you'd better come in,' she said and led the way into the lounge, carefully keeping the little boy well away from her visitors. He didn't appreciate it, however. Throughout the conversation on the doorstep he had been peeking out at these strangers and had poked his tongue out at them, the one with grey hair had been making faces at him and seemed like the type of person who would be fun to play with. 'Ben, go and fetch your toys and you can play in the dining room.' Ben stood still, his eyes lingering on the grey haired man, wondering if perhaps he might want to play with him. 'Ben? Now, please.' Sighing to himself and taking one last look at these exciting new people, he left the room to fetch his toy bag.

'Your son?' Daniel asked, trying to break the ice.

'He's my nephew, he's staying over for the weekend,' Maria replied briefly. 'What did you say you were looking for?'

'It was a dark grey cube shape, about so big,' Sam showed her how big it was. 'There were some raised marks on five of the sides, the sixth side was smooth.'

'I can't remember seeing anything like that, in fact I can't recall him having anything in his hands at all, although everything happened so fast it's all a bit of a blur really,' she shivered then stood up abruptly to try to get herself under control again. 'Coffee?' Her offer was accepted and she headed out to the kitchen, glad to have some space for a few moments while she waited for the coffee to brew. All too soon it was ready and she headed back carrying a tray, and, in spite of her earlier misgivings, smiled as she saw Ben standing solemnly in front of Colonel O'Neill showing him his most prized possession, an Action Man figure with a whole host of accessories. Colonel O'Neill had an equally serious expression on his face as he watched the little boy demonstrate exactly what Action Man was capable of doing, asking him questions and listening to the answers provided. 

'Ben, I've got you some juice,' Maria told him, 'You can sit down to drink it, then I want you to go back to the dining room.' 

A few minutes later, the adults were left alone as Ben retreated to his toys.

'I know this is difficult for you, but can you try to remember anything else about that day? Did you see Murray earlier at all?' Daniel asked the questions.

Maria thought hard, then shook her head. 'No, like I told you before, he was just sitting in the middle of the field and when I went up to him he attacked me. I'm sorry, but…'

'Aunty Mia,' Ben interrupted her, a puzzled expression on his face. 'I can't get my new toy to work.' He held an object in his hand which he was fiddling with all the time he was talking.

'What new toy?' Maria turned to him equally puzzled, reaching out her hand to take a look, only for Sam to leap to her feet and kneel down in front of Ben.

'Can I take a look?' Sam asked, smiling at him. Ben clutched the object to him and stuck his thumb in his mouth, shaking his head.

'Will you show it to me, Ben?' Ben looked at Jack and walked towards him, holding out the object for him to look at but leaning up against Jack's legs, not taking his eyes off the toy for a moment. Jack ruffled Ben's hair with one hand while he held the cube up with the other.

'Is that it?' Maria asked, confused. 'I don't know where it could have come from, unless…' She paused, then continued, 'Unless he put it in my pack. It's an old one I use to keep Ben's toys in for when he comes over, but I lent my regular one to a friend and when I wanted to go out, I just used that one. I guess I didn't empty it out properly after and just put the toys back in on top of it. I never noticed him doing it, but then, I was otherwise engaged at the time.' She gave them a small smile, then their attention returned to Jack, who was now trying to negotiate with Ben.

'Ben, this toy you've found is actually something very important and really top secret and we've been looking for it,' Jack was whispering loudly to Ben, the child responding to the thrill of secrecy by puffing his chest out importantly. 'I can't tell you what it is, but I've got something even better you can have. The only problem is, I haven't got it with me, so you're going to have to trust me.'

Ben looked thoughtfully at Jack. 'What have you got?' He asked, not seeing the amused glances from the others, entertained by the sight of Colonel Jack O'Neill reasoning with the child.

'Do you know about the new GI Joe coming out soon?' Jack bent his head closer to Ben's, making it all seem very exciting and secretive. 'The one with the space ship and the space suit?' Ben nodded, then his eyes grew wider as he realised what was being offered to him - the toy wasn't even available in the shops yet.

'When can I have it?' The little boy still kept to practical matters, wanting to make sure everything was clear before he handed over ownership of the small box.

'Let me see,' Jack appeared to think it over, before replying. 'How about next Saturday?' Ben's face immediately fell as he realised something.

'But…but I won't be here then,' Ben wailed, his chin quivering as he tried to bravely hold back the tears. 'You won't be able to find me to give it to me.' The tears had started now and he buried his face in Jack's leg as he tried to hide the fact that he was crying - he was nearly four years old after all and big boys don't cry. Jack looked at Maria, raising his eyebrows questioningly and he could see her caving in.

'Ben,' Maria knelt down beside the boy, hugging him to her and rubbing his back soothingly, 'How about if I ask mum and dad if you can stay again next Saturday, would you like that?' Ben, still keeping his face in his aunt's shoulder nodded and at last the tears stopped. He allowed himself to be cleaned up before turning back to Jack.

'I don't know your name,' Ben stated in a down to earth voice.

'I'm Jack.'

'Ok, Jack, it's a deal,' Ben thrust his hand out and Jack shook it, thus sealing the agreement.

Jack handed the artefact to Sam who hastily stashed it in her purse. 

'Thank you very much for your help,' Daniel smiled at Maria, before adding, 'And I think Jack has found himself a new friend.'

'When you come next Saturday will you stay and play?' Ben was asking Jack who had just stood up to take his leave.

'I will if your aunt doesn't mind,' Jack received a smile and a nod from the lady in question, knowing her life wouldn't be worth living if she didn't agree. 'Well, in that case, see you in a week.'

__

To be continued…


	5. Part five

**__**

DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Anniversary

Part five

Sam reached for the bottle of aspirin and absently dry-swallowed a couple as she remained focussed on the artefact they had retrieved two days ago. She had been working on it almost without a break, in fact if the Colonel hadn't stopped by a couple of times a day to drag her off to the mess hall she would probably have forgotten to eat completely. She had scanned and x-rayed the object in every way possible and still had come up with nothing.

The artefact was emitting some kind of low-level energy waves but she could not identify them, nor could she confirm that they were the cause of Teal'c's illness. Teal'c had not improved at all, still comatose and unresponsive to external stimuli. Dr Fraiser had said he was in a very deep state of kel'noreem which was helping his body protect itself, but the longer he remained in that state, the less chance there was that he would ever recover.

Frustrated, Sam slammed the box down on her work bench with more force than was wise considering she did not know what they were dealing with, and buried her face in her arms which were folded on the bench. She remained like that for some time until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'Sam?' Daniel's voice reached her and she raised her head to look into his concerned face. 'Not going well?'

'No, I just can't seem to make any sense of it,' Sam voiced her frustration. 'I have no idea what it is or what it's supposed to do. I don't even know what I can try next.' Sam picked the box up and threw it across the room, earning a raised eyebrow from Daniel. 'What?' Sam snapped at him.

'Are you alright?' Daniel asked, taken completely by surprise at the response he received.

'Of course I'm not alright, Daniel,' Sam yelled at him, 'I've spent two days on this goddamned box and got absolutely nowhere. Teal'c is in a coma in the infirmary and could die unless I find the answer to this riddle. I don't know what the box is or what it does, I have no idea if the energy readings are anything to worry about, I don't even know for sure if this is the cause of Teal'c's illness, and on top of all that…' Sam's voice which had been getting louder and louder throughout this speech suddenly trailed off and she lost all colour in her face. Standing up abruptly she ran out of the room almost knocking over Jack who had just entered and heard the last of Sam's tirade. 

'Daniel?' Jack asked Daniel to supply an explanation as they followed Sam to the bathroom where she had bolted.

'I just came in to find out how it was going and she got kind of upset,' Daniel related what had happened. 'She wasn't looking too well anyway, then she threw the artefact across the room and started yelling. I have no idea what is going on.'

They could hear the sound of someone throwing up violently behind the door. Jack sighed and pushed the door open, ignoring the enquiring stares from passing personnel as he entered the ladies bathroom. Sam hadn't had time to shut the door of the cubicle and was kneeling in front of the toilet bowl heaving the contents of her stomach. Jack crouched down behind her, rubbing her back and handing her a paper towel when she was done at last. She remained stationary for a few more minutes to get her rebelling stomach under control then allowed Jack to help her up, her legs had turned to jelly and she wasn't sure she could make it anywhere without support.

'It's alright, Captain,' Jack spoke soothingly as he helped her to the wash basins to allow her to rinse her mouth and splash water on her face before leaving the bathroom to join a concerned Daniel. 'We're going to get you to the infirmary. Can you walk?' Sam nodded, feeling too weak to protest, and leaned heavily against Jack. 

It seemed to take forever to reach the infirmary but at last Sam was handed over to Dr Fraiser and settled into one of the beds, Jack and Daniel waiting impatiently until the examination was finished. 

'Well?' Jack demanded the moment Dr Fraiser appeared.

'Sam's asleep now,' Janet began as she led the way to her office. 'She barely stayed awake long enough to answer my questions.' As they all settled themselves down in their seats, Janet continued her report. 'She says she's had a headache for the last two days, basically since she first started working on that artefact, and I'm convinced that it can't be a coincidence that the two people who appear to have been affected by it have both got a connection to the goa'uld. We've just got to figure out what it is in order to help them recover.'

'How come it took so long for Sam to be affected?' Daniel asked. 'Teal'c became ill almost immediately, yet Sam had some contact with the artefact before it disappeared and she's been working with it for two days before this happened.'

'I don't really know, I can only guess that it's because Sam no longer has a goa'uld in her and it took longer to affect the remnants left in her system.'

'But it hasn't affected anyone else, right?' Daniel's eyes were narrowed in concentration.

'Not that I'm aware of,' Janet replied.

'We were told it was a weapon against the goa'uld,' Daniel continued. 'We weren't told how it would work. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence that it was hidden in that particular place. It wasn't just hidden from unwanted attention, that tunnel was also blocking the energy waves it was emitting. Could that be the cause of this?'

'I don't know,' Janet had been listening carefully to Daniel. 'Sam couldn't identify them and didn't think they were harmful, but I guess over a period of time they could have a cumulative affect.'

'Teal'c was in that tunnel for well over an hour,' Daniel continued, half to himself as he expressed his thoughts out loud. 'That could have been enough to affect him, then Sam was working with it for two days before it affected her. Maybe that's how it works…' Daniel's voice trailed off as he gazed into space, continuing his line of thought. Dr Fraiser and Jack watched this process taking place, both startled when he leapt to his feet and started stumbling over his words.

'We have to take it back there, put it back where we found it. We have to get it away from Teal'c and Sam!'

'Whoa, there, slow down Danny boy,' Jack held up his hand to stop Daniel in mid-flow. 'Care to start from the beginning? Or better still, let's go find General Hammond and tell it all to him.'

Ten minutes later, Daniel, Jack and Dr Fraiser were in the briefing room with General Hammond.

'I'm convinced that the artefact is working exactly as it should,' Daniel was explaining, 'It was kept in that tunnel where Teal'c found it in order to protect Hathor from its effects. As soon as Teal'c came in contact with it, it started to affect him and when Sam had enough contact, it affected her as well. Teal'c felt it sooner because he's still carrying a goa'uld whereas Sam only has the protein markers in her blood.'

'I think Daniel could be right,' Dr Fraiser supported Daniel's theory. 'The energy field the device is emitting could have a cumulative effect and the longer Teal'c and Sam are in proximity to it, the worse they will get. Teal'c's condition has been deteriorating steadily, and I'm guessing he must have known the artefact was the cause because of his actions in trying to get rid of it. It can't hurt to take it back, and it could well save both their lives.'

'I don't think we should take it back there,' Jack said, an evil gleam in his eyes.

'Jack? If we don't get rid of it Teal'c and Sam could die,' Daniel said in confusion.

'I didn't mean we should leave it here,' Jack hastened to explain. 'I meant maybe we should find a nice goa'uld stronghold to take it to,' the glint in his eyes was now reflected in his smile.

'Which one?' Daniel asked eagerly, now that he understood he was all too willing to help out.

'Hold that thought gentlemen,' General Hammond over-rode their enthusiasm. 'What if getting rid of it doesn't work? We could well need that artefact for further study.'

'Are you sure sir?' Jack looked quite crestfallen. 'I mean, this could make quite an impact on the goa'uld population.'

'I'm sure it would, Colonel, but I wouldn't want to have to send a team through to retrieve it if we found out we still needed it,' Hammond smiled at Jack's disappointment. 'Colonel, I want you to take SG3 and return that artefact to where it was found. You leave in two hours.'


	6. Part six

**__**

DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Anniversary

Part six

'How come I have to do this?' Jack complained as he crawled through the tunnel.

'Because if I went I would probably die from the allergies that would kick in from all the dust that's up there,' Daniel explained patiently as he waited at the tunnel entrance.

'Oh yeah,' Jack ceased talking and hurried his crawling, relieved when he emerged at the entrance, brushing down his clothes the moment he was free. 'Well that was fun,' Jack said sarcastically. 'Lets get back and see what's happening.' Setting a pace which would normally have found Daniel struggling, the two of them made it back to the gate and SG3 in record time. As soon as they were within sight, Jack radioed to Colonel Makepeace to open the gate and send the signal through to save as much time as possible. 

Barely pausing to acknowledge the presence of the other team, Jack and Daniel headed straight through the open wormhole, down the ramp at the other side and were in the infirmary within five minutes of leaving the planet.

'Well?' Jack demanded breathlessly, cursing his not-so-young-anymore body. 

'There's no significant change,' Dr Fraiser informed them apologetically, 'But they haven't got any worse either. I'm afraid we'll just have to wait and see what happens.'

The hours crawled by. After they had showered and changed, Daniel had attempted to get on with cataloguing some artefacts and Jack played at catching up with his paperwork, but in reality neither actually made any progress and an hour after being chased out of the infirmary, both had returned bearing cups of coffee, strolling casually towards Sam. Janet, glancing up from the patient who she was with as they arrived, smiled to herself wryly and accepted that it was inevitable that a team as close as SG1 would be there for their fallen members and turned a blind eye to their presence.

Every now and again, one of them would stand up and head to the isolation room where Teal'c lay, no longer restrained but with a constant guard just in case his earlier aggressive behaviour returned. Neither one of them spoke, they watched and they waited, words not required for this vigil.

It was getting late before Jack first noticed a change in Sam. Glancing at Daniel, then back at Sam as though not believing what he had seen, he realised it hadn't been his imagination. Sam's eyelids fluttered several times and finally her eyes opened.

'Doc!' Jack yelled, causing Janet to race towards them at top speed. Hurriedly pushing the two men out the way she conducted an examination.

'It's alright Sam,' Janet soothed Sam who had been considerably startled at Jack's reaction. 'You're in the infirmary and you've been unconscious for several hours. How are you feeling?'

'Thirsty,' Sam whispered. 'Tired. What time is it?' 

'Nearly 20.00, here,' Janet helped Sam sit up enough to drink some water then settled her back down again. 'Ok, gentlemen, you can have five more minutes then you'll have to leave, Sam needs her rest.' She glared at them, daring them to argue and they meekly accepted her ruling.

'Hey,' Daniel greeted her, relieved that she was feeling better. 

'Hey, what happened?' Sam asked, her recent memories still very hazy.

'You were affected by the artefact,' Daniel explained. 'It turns out that energy field it was emitting was making both you and Teal'c sick. It affected Teal'c straight away but took longer to work on the protein marker in your blood. We figured that the weapon was working exactly as it was supposed to so we took it back.'

'There was no 'we' about it Daniel,' Jack grumpily reminded him. 'It was yours truly who did the dirty work remember? Did I say something to amuse you Major?' This last was addressed to Sam who had tried, very poorly, to conceal a smile at her CO's comments.

'No sir,' Sam said, trying to keep a straight face, thankfully saved by a yawn overtaking her.

'Well, I guess that's our cue then,' Jack said as he stood up, relieved that she was going to be fine. 'Sleep well.'

'Night Sam.'

'G'night guys,' Sam mumbled as she settled down, her eyes closing almost before they had left her.

***********

Sam, still under the care of Dr Fraiser in the infirmary, had made an illicit visit to Teal'c. It had been two days since she had woken from her brief unconsciousness but she was still weak and Dr Fraiser insisted she remain in the infirmary for the next couple of days. Teal'c, having been more severely affected by the weapon had not yet regained consciousness although Janet had told them he was stable and just needed more time for his system to fight back.

Jack and Daniel were both sitting with Teal'c, holding cups of coffee.

'Where's mine?' Sam demanded lightly.

'Sorry, Sam,' Daniel apologised, getting to his feet, 'I didn't think, I'll just go…'

'Sit down, Daniel,' Jack said, looking sideways at Sam, 'You know she's not supposed to be drinking coffee.'

'Sorry Daniel,' Sam grinned wickedly at him, not at all apologetic. 'Couldn't help myself. How's he doing?'

'Well, Dr Fraiser says she thinks he should come round soon,' Jack informed Sam. 'Said something about him responding to pain?'

'He's responding to external stimuli,' Daniel clarified for him. 'Which is an improvement. Now we just have to wait some more.'

Sam sat down and the three of them sat there, occasionally exchanging a few words, but for the most part remaining silent. Sam's head was starting to nod sleepily when Janet arrived.

'Sam! I might have guessed you'd be here,' Dr Fraiser told Sam off. 'You want me to release you yet you won't do as you're told. I want…' She was interrupted by a growl coming from the direction of the bed and all attention was now directed to it as they watched Teal'c sit up abruptly and look around him wildly, not recognising where he was or who was with him.

'Teal'c,' Jack spoke calmly, then again more loudly when Teal'c still seemed unaware. 'Teal'c, you're in the infirmary, you've been sick.' Teal'c's eyes focussed on the speaker, and now acknowledged the rest of the people present, dwelling longest on Sam in her gown.

'Captain Carter,' his voice came out in a croak and he took a sip from the glass of water handed to him before continuing. 'Are you not well?'

'I'm fine Teal'c,' Sam smiled at him, 'I was affected by the same thing you were, only not as bad. How are you feeling?'

'I am weak, but my symbiote heals me, I will be well again soon,' Teal'c replied.

'Well, you've been very lucky, Teal'c,' Janet informed him as she completed her exam. 'A couple of days and you should be up and about again but you will need to remain here in the meantime.' She held up her hand to stop the argument she knew was about to come. 'Ah, no arguments, I know I don't normally keep you in the infirmary, but I need to make sure there are no side affects from that device, you need to stay for one night at least.'

Teal'c bowed his head, acknowledging Dr Fraiser's order and lay back down on the pillow, testimony to his still weakened state.

'And now I believe visiting time is over,' Janet continued issuing orders. 'Colonel O'Neill, Dr Jackson, I want you both to go home, get something to eat and get a good night's sleep, I don't want to see either of you on base until tomorrow morning, is that understood?'

Half an hour later Dr Fraiser carried out her final rounds before heading home herself.

**************

Jack stood on the doorstep and waited for the bell to be answered. He didn't have to wait long. The door was flung open and a small figure flung its arms around Jack's knees.

'Colonel Jack!' Ben exclaimed, his voice turning into a yell of delight when Jack placed his package on the step and swung the boy up in the air until he was upside down, eliciting non-stop giggles from him.

'Colonel O'Neill,' Maria greeted Jack a little more formally but unable to stop a smile spreading to her face to see him with Ben. 'Please, come in, Ben's been looking out of the window waiting for you to arrive.'

'Are you sure you're ok with this?' Jack had seen how reluctant she had been to accept any contact with him and didn't want to push her too hard, in spite of the promise he had made to the little boy and his own pleasure in spending time with someone who reminded him so much of the son he had lost. 

'Are you kidding?' Maria smiled warmly at him, 'Ben would never forgive me if I didn't let his new friend stay to play with him. Come on in, it's freezing out there. Coffee?'

Jack swung Ben to an upright position, holding him around the waist while Ben wrapped his legs around Jack's waist, Maria picked up the package and led the way inside. 

THE END


End file.
